Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-03-12
ToMAHAWK JoTTINGS.

InouthS, is In q very neipteSS conul'
ton.
We are sorry to report Mrs. Mary
Wood on the sick list.
Mr.. Samuel S. Felker and Miss
Alice V. Shipper were married in the
parlor of the Continental Hotel, OF
your city, Feb. ed.
Revs. Pardew and Fried are both
attending the annual conference of
the churches to which they belong
and it generally believed that each
will be sent to a new field of labor,
Mr.. Pardew having been Pastor OF
the NJ. E. Church years.
Preaching at the Providence U. B.
Church Sunday, March goth, at the
usual hour, 1890 a. m.
Mr.. G. P. Keesecker, who has been
in Neb. for two years, has returned
home to stay during the Summer
He reports that country far ahead of
w. Va. in the way of agricultural im-
provements.
Mr.. j. III. Keesecker left for parts
of Ohio on Thursday last. We learn
that several more of our young men
are going to take Horace Greely's
advice and go West this Spring.
Mr.. Jacob Stuckey is again pros
pecting for coal ON his farm near
Jones Spring; hope he will strike the
hidden treasure by and by.
There will be several farms near
Tomahawk for sale this Spring.
Messrs. Thos. Kearnes and ID.
Stuckey have bought the Samuel
Stuckey farm near Jones Spring.
Mr.. Jas. KEGS expects to engage in
mercantile business in Baltimore
about the first of April; Mr.. G. Alvey
having rented the property formerly
occupied by Mr.. KEGS at Jones Spring.
The Literary Societies, of Johnson
town and Mingo, have their weekly
meeting and generally crowded
houses.
Mr.. Felker and wife have returned
home from a tour through Pa. and
Md.
The schools of this district are Civ
ing general satisfaction. Mingo
School reports an average attendance
of 45 for sixth month. Greenwood
School reports for sixth month, AZ
scholars enrolled per cent. ofattend-
ance 81. Names of scholars neither
absent or tardy: Lucy T. Siler, Lille
M. Kearnes, Charles P. Siler, r. S.
Anderson, g. w. Shipper, B. NJ.
Shipper and Chas. P. Murphy.
What has become of the graduating
system as introduced In our schools :?
Is question we too often hear asked
by the patrons of our schools, with
the remark that this should have
never run down. The advantage of a
graduating system ir our district
schools is well recognized by the
patrons of the schools. At the State
Teachers Association of w. Va, held
at Martinsburg Aug. 1877, the follow
ing resolution was adopted, Re-
solved, That the system introduced
into the free schools of Monongalia
Co. by Supt. A. l.. Wade, providing
for grading schools holding district
examinations and granting diplomas
to pupils who complete the free-school
branches, be recommended to County
Superintendent throughout w. Va.
for their adoption" We do not hold
the Co. Sup. alone responsible for the
success of such system of gradua-
ton. But can the teachers and County
feel otherwise than
it does depend on their efforts indeed
as to the graduating system being a
failure or success. 1t is generally
conceded by intelligent people that
the common schools of a country are
the pride Of the present age, and yet
no one claims that they have reached
anything like perfection. There is
growing conviction that they ought
to do more, produce higherand purer
civilization, and we cannot reason
ably expect the most satisfactory re-
suits until the attendance upon our
public schools be made more general
and regular. Calls for compulsory
attendance from various quarters GER
tainly indicate that there is want of
harmony between the public schools
and the people. Vast multitudes of
men and women all bear testimony
to the belief that there must be
missing link in our system of public
instruction. While the amount of
work accomplished by our public
schools does not meet our highest ex-
pectation the quality of the work is
even less satisfactory. Many of our
young people form in the school
room an actual dislike for study; and
few of them upon leaving school carry
with them love of study which will
last throughout life. But want of
success i'm the work of our schools is
not proof that our teachers have been
unskiiiful in the use of our school
methods. No one will claim that we
have been wanting in the number
and variety Of our educational meth
DDS. We have innunerable methods
in endless variety. Nature points to
but few methods and these are simple
and pleasurable, if we but follow the
hints which nature has given us she
will help US far more than half way
in our modes of instruction. Many
of our teachers have followed natures
methods in their modes of teaching,
and have welded a mighty influence
in uplifting whole communities and
another class of teachers take up but
n. n All II